This Just In: People of Color DO Write Speculative Fiction

People of color? In MY speculative fiction? It’s more likely than you think–or it should be. (photo via i09)

In case you haven’t heard, Aarti of BookLust recently organized a reading tour, A More Diverse Universe, dedicated to increasing exposure of speculative fiction written by people of color. Diversity in science-fiction and fantasy has been increasing recently, but it’s still sorely lacking, and in Aarti’s words:

Did you know that there are more books in publication about people of character that are by Caucasian authors than there are by people of color authors?!  That means that if you are white and write a book about an Indian girl named Aarti and her life in Chicago (and perhaps a fantastical journey to Fairyland) you are more likely than I am to get that book published.  That’s messed up.

That is messed up, Aarti. Support for diversity in the writing world is so important, and the outpouring of enthusiasm for this reading tour has been phenomenal. There are so many books and authors on the schedule that I haven’t even heard of, and that’s a damn shame! My own post over at Nisaba Be Praised reviewing Samuel Delany’s early work The Einstein Intersection went up today, and if I’m not mistaken, my co-blogger Jessica will be talking about Octavia Butler’s Wild Seed later this week. Laura from Ruby Bastille is participating too! Some other reviews of books and stories I’ve read and can recommend:

+ “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” by Ted Chiang, over at Untitled United

+ Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, over at Always Cooking Up Something

+ The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin, over at Bay State Reader’s Advisory

The tour is going on through Saturday, so check out the schedule and stay tuned for reviews you might find interesting! At the very least, jot a few titles down and check them out sometime soon.